Phonograph



May 10, 1927.

H. C. STOLL ET AL PHONOGRAPH 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 1'. 1921 avweutozs I Z May 1927' I H. c. srou. ET AL PHONOGRAPI-I Filed Juhe 1. 1921 5 She ets-Sheet 2 H. C. ST OLL ET AL PHONOGRAPH Filed June 1'. 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 I00 avwen'c'ow May 10, l927. H. c STOLL T AL 8,285

PHOINOGRAPH Filed June 1. 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 80 44:2 M 50 l y L May 10, 1927.

H. c. STOLL Efr AL PHONOGRAPH Filed June 1. 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Ti -l4.-

inventor,

Patented May 10, 1927.

UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY C. B'IOLL HUGO Ii. SCHRODER, OF NEW YORK N.'Y., ASSIGNOBS, BY DIRECT AND MESNEASBIGNMENTS, OI ONE-THIRD T0 HARRY B. KANTER AND ONE-THIRD TO PHILIP S. MOLEAN, BOTH OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AND ONE-THIRD TO SAID SCHB ODEB.

I PHONOGRAPH.

Application and June 1, 1921. Serial No. 474,114.

.The objects of our present invention are to provide relatively simple and inexpensive -mechanism for automatically changing the records, or for repeating any desired record, which shall be Controllable at will to effect either of these results, and which will be adaptable to phonographs now in general use.

In the accomplishment of these objects, wehave devised various novel features of construction, combination and relation of parts" as will appear from the following specification which is to be read in conjunction with the drawings accompanying and forming part of the same.

Figure 1 in the drawings referred to is a plan view of the machine with the top of the cabinet appearing in section.

Figure 2 is an enlarged broken side view of parts of the apparatus as viewed from substantially the plane of line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the machine, the cover being shown in section.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the operating mechanism.

Figure 5 is a' broken vertical sectional view of the turn-table and part of the mechanism below the same.

Figure 6 is a broken side elevation of the reproducer lifting parts.

Figure 7 is a detached perspective view of one of the positioning cams.

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic representa tion of a wiring plan for the machine.

Figure 9 is a broken vertical section on substantially the plane of line 99 of Figme 5, illustrating particularly the mechanism for actuating the positioning cam.

Figures 10 and 11 are broken plan and side views respectively of the record-shift ing hook or finger.

Figure 12 is a broken detail view of the indicator for the positioning cams.

Figure 13 is a view on the order of Figure 9, illustrating a slight modification in the operation of the positioning cam and the 4 reproducer lifter.

Figures 1.4, 15 16 and 17 are diagrammatic views, illustrating successive steps in the operations of changing a record.

Figure 18 is a fragmentary and part sectional view taken substantially on the plane of the clutch controlling slide rod.

Considering the drawings-now more in detail, 20 designates the turn-table, and 21 the sound-box for cooperating with the uppermost of a stack of records supported onthe turntable, said sound-box being carried by a tone-arm 22 pivoted at 23 for substantially vertical lifting movement and swiveled at 24 for horizontal swinging movement.

The tone-arm carries a downwardly inclined and outwardly extending arm 25 of sufficient extent to project beyond the rim of the turn-table when the reproducer is at the inner end of its travel on the record and curved on an arc whose center corresponds to that of thehorizontal swinging movement a of the tone-arm (Figure 1) so as to stand at all times over an elevating roller 26 journaled in a bracket 27 on the upper end of an elevating plunger 28 (Figures 6 and 9).

This plunger may be operated in different ways, it being shown in the first form of the invention illustrated, (Figure 6), as having a rack 29 engaged by a pinion 30 on the shaft 31', and in the second form of the invention, (Figure 13), as actuated by a cord 32 connected thereto and adapted to be wound up on a spool .33, both the gear and the spool being automatically coupled to the shaft at the proper time to effect the desired lifting action.

The shaft 31, as shown in the bottom plan view, Figure 4, is driven by suitable gearing 34 from the electric or other motor 35 and carries a gear 36 in driving engagement with a gear 37 on the turn-table spindle 38 (Figure 5). This shaft therefore rotates continuously while the phonograph is operating and we take advantage of this fact to provide the power for actuating the repro ducer-lifting and record-changing devices.

The clutch by which this power is controlled consists in the illustration of a sleev 39 slidably keyed on the drive shaft 31, as

till

shown at 40 in Figures 6 and 18, and provided with an outstanding lug 41 for engagement with a pin 42.0n the sleeve 43 which carries the pinion 30 and is simply loosely supported on the shaft. The cooperating clutch elements 41 and 42 are normally held in separated relation by a spring 44 acting on a slide rod 45 which is guided in a bracket 46 and connected with an armature 50 for cooperation with the poles 51 of magnet 49, said slide being connected with the clutch sleeve 39 by means of an abutment member 52 fitting in an annular groove 53 provided in the clutch sleeve. The magnet 49 is shown in Figure 4 as having a base or head portion 47 by which it is attached to and supported by bracket 46 and the armature 50 of the magnet is shown as having guide pins 48 sliding in the cores of the magnet windings.

It will be seen from this that when the magnet 49 is energized, the clutch sleeve 39 will be shifted longitudinally on the drive shaft into coupled engagement with the loose clutch sleeve or collar 43 and that thereupon, the reproducer-lifting plunger will be lifted through the rack and pinion or spool and cord connection described. And it will furthermore be evident that upon such lifting movement, the roller 26 will be brought up into supporting engagement with the downwardly inclined arm 25, resulting in a compound lifting and outwardly swinging movement of the tone-arm. The operation of this lifting mechanism, therefore, at any time, is to lift the sound-box clear of the record and to swing the same off to one side of the turn-table.

The automatic outward swinging movement of the tone-arm and its sound-box is limited in the present disclosure by an outstanding lug 54 carried by the swiveled neck of the tone-arm and arranged to engage a stop 55, (Figure 1). This stop, in the position shown in this figure, limits the outward swinging movement of the tone-arm to a point where the stylus will engage the beginning of one size record (ten-inch, for instance) and it will be evident that by turning the stop on its supporting center 56, the outward swinging motion permitted the tone-arm will be increased so as to enable the stylus to cooperate with the beginning of a larger record (twelve-inch, for instance).

At the commencement of operations, a group of selected records, such as I have shown at A, B and Gin Figure 2, are placed in superposed relation on theturn-table and when a change is to be made, the center pin 57 which projects upthrough. the hollow spindle of the turn-table is retracted substantially the thickness of a record so as to release the top record and this top record when thus released is swept ofi the turn-table 7) carried by a shaft 60 and forminga rest for the lower end of the center pin, the pin being held firmly engaged with the steps of the cam, in the illustration by aspring 61. This shaft is turned step by step in the first form of the invention by a pawl 62 engaging the teeth of a ratchet 63 fast on the shaft, said pawl being piyotally connected at 64 to the pivoted armature 65 of an electromagnet 66. The pawl is spring-pressed or weighted at its lower end as shown at 67, so as to properly engage the ratchet, and it will be evident that each time the magnet is energized, the shaft will be rotated one step and hence will lower the center pin a distance substantially corresponding to the thickness of one record.

In the modification shown in Figure 13, the turning of the ratchet is accomplished by a push pawl 68 pivotally connected at its lower end at 69 to a sleeve 70 slidably engaged on the reproducer-lifting rod 28. This pawl has a tooth 71 for engagement with the teeth of theratchet, and the upper end of such pawl is supported and positioned by an arm 72 carried by a sleeve 73 pivotally supported on the shaft 60 and having an outstanding arm 74 engaged over an arm 75 projecting from the armature 65. In this case, each time the magnet 66 is energized, the sleeve 73 on the shaft 60 will be turned, through the conneetions illustrated, to lower the support 72 and hence bring the tooth of the pawl into position to engage and operate the ratchet. The cord 32 is connected directly to the loose sleeve 70 so that the first part of the winding movement of the cord operates to lift the sleeve and hence is effective to turn the cam shaft. At the end of a predetermined stroke, the sleeve engages an abutment 76 fixed 011 the lift rod 28, which is shown in the form of a collar having a conical upper face 77 which operates as a cam or wedge to engage the arm 78 (Figure 18) of a bellcrank lever pivoted at 79 and whose other arm 80 (Figure 4) engages the end of the slide 45 to force back the clutch sleeve and positively uncouple the clutch elements 41 and 42.

The construction just described therefore operates as a trip to positively uncouple the clutch parts at the end of a predetermined up-stroke of the reproducer-lifting rod. An additional advantage of this positive uncoupling of the clutch elements is that this movement is effective to overcome any residual magnetism of the magnet 49, (Figure 4).

The record-shifting device consists of a sweep arm 81 mounted on the upper end of an upright shaft 82 and cariying at its free end a finger 83 having a hook portion 84 to engage the edge of the topmost record. This record-engaging finger is shown (see particularly Figures 10 and l1) as pivotally engaged on the end of the swee arm and as normally yieldingly sustaine by a flat spring 85 ri idly secured to the arm and having a sliding connection with the finger at 86.

- the cam shaft 60 similar to the cam 59, and

operating as a support for thesweep shaft 82 which is vertically movable in a caring (Figure 5).

The shaft 60 which carries the center pin and sweep positioning cams is yieldingly held in its variously adjusted relations, for instance, by means of a spring-pressed paw] or holding element 91 (Figure 5) engaging in properly positioned notches in a disc 92 fast on said shaft.

The sweep. is actuated in one directionin the present disclosure from an outstanding lug or arm 93 on the lift rod which, under predetermined conditions, in the up-stroke of the lift rod, engages a lever 94 dependent from a sleeve 95 loose on the cam shaft and carrying an upstanding arm 96. engaging an arm 97 outstanding angularly from the sweep shaft. The return movement, of the sweep is effected by a spring 98 shown connected with the angularly outstanding arm 97 by which the sweep is turned.

The repeating and record-changing operations are controlled in the present illustration from a remote control switch 99 of special construction, having one push button 100 for controlling the repeat magnet 49, a second button 101 for controlling the. change magnet 66 and a thirdbutton 102 for controlling the motor circuit. This switch is usually supplied with a sufiicient length of flexible cord to enable the operator to control the machine from any convenient point, either in the room with the phonograph or in an adjacent room. This special remote control switch, it will be noted, enables the operator to start and stop the motor, to repeat all or a portion of any desired record or to change the records either at the end of the playing of a record or at any intermediate point in the playing thereof and to accomplish all this from any convenient point more or less remote from the machine.

In Figure 8 we have illustrated more or less diagrammatically, a set of circuit connections by. which these results may be ac- A special feature of this spring arm. in the complished. The motor circuit is shown simply as including. the motor and a suitable source of ener y, under control of the hand switch 102. %he' other circuits include means for automatically maintaining the energizing connections intact until certain predetermined operations hav e been completed, irrespective of whether the circuit is held closed by the hand switch.

For this purpose we provide the three con- I tacts 103, 104, 105, the first connected by wiring 106 with a middle switch contact 107.

and the others (104, connected by wir ing 108 and 109 with the repeat and change switch contacts respectively. The intermediate orneutral wiring 106' is connected by wiring 110 with a battery or other source of energy 111 which may be grounded, as indicated', to provide a common return and the reproducer-lifting plunger receiving current through this ground connection may be ,utilized, as I have indicated, to operate-as an automatic switch, the same being shown particularly in Figure 6 as-having' a con-- ducting portion 112 at its lower end slidingly engaged by a brush 113 carried by an in sulatingsupport 114 and connected by wiring 115 with'both the repeat :and change magnets 49 and 66. 5

From this it will be evident that when the repeat switch is operated, a circuit will be closed through the repeat magnet 49) by way of contact 107, c0nductors"106-1 10, through the battery and by way of the common ground connection, slide 112, brush 113 and conductor 115 .to the repeat coil and by way of conductors 116-108 back to the switch. The magnet thus energized attracts its armature 50' so as to operatively engage the clutch, which through the connections described couples up thereproducer-lifting rod with the drive shaft, which rod thereupon lifts the reproducer and at the same-- time swings it outward to the start of the sound groove at the edge 'of the record. The operation of the switch 100, therefore, is thus effective simply to lift'the reproducer oil" the record and swing it out forrepetition of the same record.

To prevent scratching of the record or the production of any discordant sounds, we

into position provide slow motion mechanism for lower- 1 ing the reproducer easily on the record, sa d mechanism consisting in the present dis-' closure of a piston 117 connected jvith'the lift rod 28 by the bracket 112 and operating in the cylinder 118 and forming in-efi'ect a dash-pot for, retarding the lowering movement of the lift rod.

When the change button'lOl is pressed,

the circuitis completed through both-the repeat and'the change magnets 49 and 66 as 7 follows: From switch contact 107 and connections 106-110 to the battery through the common ground to slide 112 and from there magnet by means of conductors 115 by brush 113, conductor 115 to the change lows: From contact 103, conductors 106- 110 to battery through ground, slide 112, brush 113, conductor 115 to magnet 66 and conductors 119, 120 to contact brushes 105, 104, 103, the repeat magnet 49 being at this time connected in parallel with the other 116- 108 and the intermediate spring 104. This circuit will remain closed so long as magnet 66 is energized, irrespective of whether the hand switch is operated and it does remain closed until the lift rod has passed up out of contact with the brush 113, where.- upon circuits through both the magnets will lTG broken.

lVhen both magnets have been energized as described by pressing the change button, the following operations are effected: The armature 65 of the change magnet has an arm or lug 121 which engages beneath the lever 94 (Figure 9) so that when this armature is lifted it swings out the lever 94 into the position shown in dot and dash lines in Figure 9 so as to be engaged by the outstanding arm 93 on the lift rod. Consequently, the lift rod through the arm 93 serves in its upward movement to rock the lever 94 and hence to swing the arm 96, causing that arm through its engagement with the outstanding arm 97 (Figure on the sweep shaft to turn the sweep shaft and cause the sweep to swing over the top record so that its finger engages the edge of the record, as indicated in dot and dash lines in Figure 1, and sweeps that record off the top of the pile. The rotation of the turn-table assists in this discharging movement of the record as soon as the record is shifted off-center. An upstanding fence 122 at the back of the turn-table is positioned to be engaged by the edge of the record and guides the same down onto the inclined table 58 where it is caught and held by suitable stops 123 at the foot of such'table.

The fence is shown as provided with suitable cups or receptacles 124 for the needles used in the playing of the machine and hence serves a double function.

The record-receiving table- 58 is shown as detachably secured to the cabinet of the machine by having a flange 125 at its upper end caught beneath a bracket 126, the shelf being releasably held in this relation by being clamped at its opposite edges between a fixed abutment 127 and a releasable abutment screw 128.

As shown particularly in Figure 3, the

cabinet is preferably built with a substantially fiat top and the parts are normally housed within hollow cover 129 hinged at the back of the machine, said cover having a gate or opening 130 in the shelf side thereof for the discharge of the records, which, when the machine is not in operation, may be closed by a hinged door 131.

In Figures 14 to 17 we have endeavored to illustrate graphically the operation of playing and changing the records. In the first of these views the reproduccr is traveling inward, approaching the end of the sound groove. When the playing is completed, the operator who may be stationed in an adjoining room, simply presses the necessary button either to stop the machine, to repeat the record or to change to the next record. If the repeat button is pressed, the lift rod through the cam arm simply lifts the reprodncer and swings it over to the commencement of the record and again lowers it into engagement with the sound groove. If the change button is pressed, the reproducer is lifted and swung to the side as previously described, but before there is time for it to be lowered again, the centering pin is dropped one step so as to release the top record (Figure 15), the sweep is lowered to bring its finger into position to engage the released top record and the sweep is swung over as indicated in Figure 16, so as to carry the freed top record offcenter and into engagement with the fence 122 along which it rides by reason of the spinning motion of the turn-table until it slides down onto the inclined support.

By the time the record has been swept clear of the turn-table, the reproducer is lowered into engagement with the next record, as shown in Figure 17. By reason of this close sequence of events, practically no time is lost between the changing of records and the performance, therefore, can be made almost a continuous one.

The machine illustrated is constructed to automatically handle any number up to six shaft (Figure 4) and carrying a dial 135 bearing numbers or other appropriate insignia visible through an opening 136 in the case.

What we claim is:

1. In a phonograph, a turn-table rotating in a fixed plane and provided with a retractable center pin, means for retracting said pin clear of the topmost of a pile of records on the turn-table and means for shifting the topmost record when thus freed clear of the turn-table.

2. Ina phonograph, a turn-table rotating in a fixed plane and provided with a'retractable center pin, means for retracting said pin clear of the topmost of a pile of records on the turn-table and means for shifting the topmost record when thus freed clear of the turn-table and including a sweep traveling over the turn-table and provided with a hook element to engage the edge. of the top record.

3. In a phonograph, a rotating turn-table provided with a retractable center pin, means for'retracting said pin clear of the topmost of a pile of records on the turntable, means for shifting the topmost record when thus freed clear of the turn-table and including a sweep traveling over the turntable and provided with a hook element to engage the edge of the top record and means for automatically lowering said sweep as the center pin is retracted.

4. In a phonograph, a turn-table rotating in a fixed plane and provided with a retractable center pin, means for retracting said pin clear of the topmost of a pile of records on the turn-table, means for shifting the topmost record when thus freed clear of the turn-table and including a sweep traveling over the turn-table and provided with a hook element to engagithe edge of the top record and means for automatically lowering the hook of said sweep in a plane to operatively ,engage the freed topmost record.

5. In a phonograph, a rotating turn-table provided with a retractable center pin, means for retracting said pin clear of the topmost of a pile of records on the turntable, means for shifting the topmost record when thus freed clear of the turn-table and including a sweep traveling over the turntable and provided with a hook element to engage the edge of the top record, means for automatically positioning the finger of said sweep in a plane to operatively engage the freed topmost record and means for preventing operation of said finger when the last record on the turn-table is reached.

6. In a phonograph, a rotating turntable provided with a retractable center pin, means for retracting said pin clear of the topmost of a pile of records on the turntable, means for shifting the topmost record when thus freed clear of the turn-table and including a sweep traveling over the turntable and providedwith a hook element to engage the edge of the top record, means for automatically positioning the finger of said sweep in a plane to operatively engage the freed topmost record and means for preventing operation of said finger when the last record on the turn-table is reached and including a stop for preventing engagement of the finger with: sand record.

7. In a phonograph, a rotating turn-table for supporting a stack of records, a sweep provided with a finger to engage the topmost record and means for bodily lowering said sweep as the recordsare removed from the turn-table.

8. In a phonograph, a turn-table for supporting a stack of records, an upri ht shaft, an outstanding sweep arm carried t ereby,-a finger on the end of said arm for engage-v ment with the edge of the topmost record on the turn-table, means for oscillating the shaft and means for automatically lowering the shaft step by step as the records are removed from the turn-table.

9. In a phonograph, a turn-table for supporting a stack of records, an upright shaft, an outstanding sweep arm carried thereby, a finger on the end of said arm for engagement with the edge of the topmost record on the turn-table, means for oscillating the shaft, means for automatically lowering-the shaft step by step as the recordsv are re moved from the turn-table, a pin for centering the records on the turn-table and means for lowering. said centering pin in accordance with the lowering movements of the sweep.

10. In a phonograph, a rotating turn-table provided with a retractable center pin, a sweep arm traversin the turn-table and carrying a yieldable Iook at the free end thereof to engage the edge of the topmost record on the turn-table and means for automatically lowering said sweep to maintain the hook in the plane of the top record.

- 11. In a phonograph, a turn-table provided with a retractable center pin, a record shifting device engageable with the topmost record on the turn-table, a shaft, stepped cams on said shaft for ositioning the center pin and record shi ting device respectively and means for rotating said shaft. 12. In a phonograph, a turn-table provided with a retractable center pin, a record record on the turn-table, a shaft, stepped cams on said shaft for positioning the center pin and record shifting device respectively, means for rotating said shaft and means for 'operating the record shifting device irrespective of its position.

14. In a phonograph, a turn-table provided with aretractable center pin, a record shifting device engageable with the topmost a shaft, stepped cams on said shaft for positioning the center record on the turn-table,

shifting device engageable with the topmost I pin and record shifting device respectively, means for rotating said shaft, means for operating the record shifting device lrrespective of its position, means for automatically turning the shaft step by step and manually operative means for restoring sald shaft.

15. In a phonogra h, a turn-table provided with a retractab e center pin, a record shifting device engageable with the topmost record on the turn-table, a shaft, stepped cams on said shaft for positioning the center pin and record shifting device respectively, means for rotating said shaft, means for operating the record shifting device irrespective of its position, a reproducer for traversing the turn-table, means for lifting and shifting the reproducer laterally prior to operation of the cam shaft and a device for lowering the reproducer after operation of the sweep.

'16. In a phonograph, automatic record changing and record repeatmg apparatus.

and remote control mechanism operable at a distance from the machine and having connections extending therefrom to the machine for selectively effecting either automatic record changing or record repeating operations.

17. In a phonograph, the combination with a turn-table, record-releasing and record-shifting devices in cooperative relation to the turn-table, a reproducer, lifting means for the reproducer and connections from.

said lifting means for actuating both the record-releasing and the record-shifting devices, with mechanism also actuated by the ,reproducer lifting means for automatically lowering the record-shifting device to maintain the same in the plane of the topmost record on the turn-table.

18. In a phonograph, a turn table rotating in a fixed horizontal plane and provided with a retractable center pin projectingup through the same, a motor for constantly driving said turn-table and means for retracting the center pin independently of the rotary motion of the turn-table.

19. In a phonograph, a turn-table rotating in afixed horizontal plane and provided with a retractable center pin projecting up through the same, a motor for constantly driving said turn-table, means for retracting the center pin independently of the rotary motion of the turn-table, a vertically adjustable record-changing device and means for positioning the same in accordance with the position of the center pin.,

20. In a phonograph, a reproducer and lifting means therefor including electromagnetic clutch mechanism and mechanical means for automatically disengaging the elements of said electromagnetic clutch mechanism upon a predetermined lifting movement of the reproducer.

21. In a phonograph/the combination of a turn-table for supporting a stack of records, automatic means for removing the top record of said stack, a reproducer for engagement with the top record, means for lifting said reproducer and for returningsame to the beginning of a record and control means arbitrarily operable at the end or any time during the playing ofa record to effect operation of both the record chang ing and reproducer returning mechanism or to effect operation of the reproducer returning mechanism alone whereby to successively play different records on the turn-table or to repeat all or a portion of the same record on the turn-table.

22. In a phonograph, a turn-table having a retractable center pin, a record shifting member for engagement with the top record on the turn-table, means for lowering the retractable center pin and said record shirting member, a tone-arm, means for lifting and returning said tone-arm to a predetermined initial position and arbitrarily controlled means for operating the center pin retracting means, the lowering mechanism for the record shifting device and the tonearm returning means or for operating the tone-arm returning means alone.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands this 20th day of May, 1921.

' HENRY C. STOLL.

HUGO L. SCHRODER. 

